In an old woodworking warehouse in Waterloo, the wearables of the future are becoming a reality. It’s home to Thalmic Labs, the company known for the Myo armband, which allows users to control an array of devices with a flick of the wrist—­PowerPoint slides, lights in a DJ set, even a prosthetic hand.

Last year, Thalmic got $120 million (U.S.) from Amazon and Intel to develop a new interface for wearable technology that would rival iOS. The space buzzes with the thrill of innovation as jumpsuited engineers work to invent not only next-level wearables, but also the machines required to manufacture them. If there were ever a place to build self-lacing sneakers, this would be it.